Uncontested races create low voter turnout for Marblehead elections

MARBLEHEAD – The four contested races on this year’s ballot brought out a relatively low 2,231 voters, or 15 percent.The contested races were for Recreation and Park Commission, Board of Health, Trustees of the Abbot Public Library and Housing Authority.Did the voter turn-out for those boards mask a change in the results for the Board of Selectmen?Selectman Judy Jacobi topped the ticket with 1,545 votes and Selectman James Nye was close behind with 1,534. Selectman William Woodfin was third with 1,455, Selectmen Chairman Jackie Belf-Becker was fourth with 1,443 and Selectman Harry Christensen finished fifth with 1,441. The selectmen ran unopposed this year.Last year there were 1,230 votes cast, the selectmen also ran unopposed and the only contested race on the ballot was for the Recreation and Park Commission. Jacobi finished first, followed by Christensen, Woodfin, Nye and Belf-Becker.Ten other town offices went uncontested this year.Gary Spiess was re-elected as town moderator for another year with 1,612 votes, the highest received by any unopposed candidate.Eurim Chun was elected to a three-year seat on the School Committee with 1,502 votes; Maura K. Murnane was elected to a one-year unexpired term on the Trustees of the Abbot Public Library with 1,417 votes; Emerson F. Brown was re-elected to a three-year term on the Water and Sewer Commission with 1,517 votes; James E. Bishop and Karl A. Johnson were re-elected to three-year terms on the Planning Board with 1,456 votes and 1,401 votes respectively; Wilbur E. Bassett and Philip W. Sweeney were re-elected to three-year terms on the Municipal Light Commission with 1,452 votes and 1,508 votes respectively; Douglas E. Percy was re-elected to a three-year term on the Board of Assessors with 1,551 votes; Dexter C. Gillis was re-elected to a three-year seat on the Cemetery Commission with 1,452 votes.